Wheezing Schools Flunk Out

It's hard to sit still in a classroom and learn when you're coughing, wheezing and sneezing.

Yet that's just what has been going on in some Florida public schools beset with poor-quality indoor air, which may be caused, at least in part, by deficiencies in air-conditioning systems.

Small air-conditioning units were installed in some Florida schools under a school building code intended to encourage energy efficiency.

The smaller air conditioners, however, don't circulate as much fresh air as larger units. What's more, Florida's heat and humidity contribute to the growth of mold that can cause respiratory problems associated with colds and other ailments.

The state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services in 1991 alerted the state education department to the need for more fresh air in school buildings. Regrettably, state education officials still have not changed the building code to require larger air conditioners capable of circulating more fresh air.

A federal report released earlier this year, however, cited building codes as being at least partly responsible for air-quality problems inside schools. Clearly that report got the state's attention, because education officials now are talking about changing the school building code.

But this is no time for lengthy deliberations. Fast action is needed now for several reasons.

The most urgent need is to apply the new codes to schools being planned right now. Let's prevent the problem from spreading any further.

What's more, the faster the new codes are on the books, the sooner school boards can develop plans to ensure that all schools will have adequate air-conditioning systems.

Addressing that problem on the local level will not be easy. Money has been tight in many districts for years. The thought of having to go back and make costly improvements to existing air-conditioning systems is disturbing.

Of course, the problem can't be solved in a flash. But it can't be left on a back burner any longer either. Not only is the health of our children being jeopardized; their education, too, is being compromised.